Prionaspidion brevidens Lepeco & Melo, 2022

Lepeco, Anderson, Barbosa, Diego N. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2022, A remarkable new family of stinging wasps from the Cretaceous of Myanmar and China (Hymenoptera, Aculeata), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 94, pp. 163-190 : 163

† Prionaspidion brevidens Lepeco & Melo sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Type material.

Holotype female in amber piece DZUP Bur-1919. The specimen integument is structurally well preserved, but part of its body was lost due to breaking of the amber piece. The mouthparts are broken; a set of two and another of three palpomeres can be distinguished, but we could not identify if they belong to maxillar or labial palps; the right mandible and the apex of the left one was sanded off. The left antenna is disarticulated, but intact. The right antenna is disarticulated and is represented only by F3 to F9. The right fore and mid legs were sanded off. Parts of the hind wings are present, but we could not identify its shape or venation. The metasoma is compacted, perhaps due to a telescopic capacity of its segments. Syninclusions: the apex of a leaf, which is slightly larger than the specimen; two unidentified mites; stellate trichomes; spores; and debris.

Diagnosis.

The species can be separated from † P. nanus sp. nov. by the larger body size (over 4 mm); presence of a carina adjacent to inner orbit, reaching dorsal rim of antennal socket (Fig. 1D ); denticles on the apical margin of clypeus well defined, at least on sublateral surfaces (Fig. 1C, D ); and the relatively slender profemur, about 4.2 times as long as maximum width.

Description.

Female. Measurements: approximate body length: 4.2 mm; maximum head length: 1.1 mm; maximum head width: 0.9 mm; medial clypeus length: 0.3 mm; approximate forewing length: 2.0 mm. Color. Poorly preserved, body apparently brown. Wings hyaline, veins light brownish. Pubescence. Head, metasoma and most of mesosoma apparently glabrous. Mesepisternum with sparse coverage of tiny setae on lateral surface. Short bristles visible on apex of tarsomeres; first tarsomere of all legs densely covered by small setae. Forewing with homogeneous coverage of tiny setae; anterior margin with dense tiny setae, setae as long as half width of vein C+Sc+R. Sculpturing. Smooth overall. Head apparently with tiny scattered punctures. Lateral portion of mesepisternum with sparse punctures. Metapostnotum filled with rugae delimiting wide spaces; medially with a straight longitudinal carina; dorsal surface of propodeum rugose posteriorly. Structure. Palps not distinguishable. Clypeal disc about twice as wide as long, larger than compound eye; apical margin with homogeneously sized, deep, blunt indentations. Frons with strong carina adjacent to inner orbit and reaching dorsal rim of antennal socket. Eyes separated medially by about 1.4 times eye length. Mid ocellus separated from lateral ocellus by about its diameter. Lateral ocellus distanced from inner orbit of eye by about 2.5 times ocellar triangle length. Vertex extending behind lateral ocelli for about twice the length of ocellar triangle. Hypostomal bridge as long as 1.5 times basal mandibular width. Scape about 4 times as long as maximum width; pedicel about as long as F1. Metapostnotum visible externally, occupying most of the dorsal surface of propodeum medially. Profemur about 4.2 times as long as maximum width. Basitarsomere of fore leg as long as 0.7 times protibial length. Tibial spur formula apparently 1-0-1. Basitarsomere of hind leg about 0.6 times metatibial length. Tarsal claws simple.

Etymology.

The name is a combination of the Latin brevis, meaning “short”, and dens, meaning “tooth”. The name is an allusion to the presence of a series of short denticles on the clypeal margin. It is a noun in apposition.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype female of † Prionaspidion brevidens sp. nov. (DZUP Bur- 1919) A habitus, dorsal view B dorsal view of head C close-up of clypeus. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. D line drawing of head, dorsal view, not in scale. Scale bar: 1 mm (A); 0.5 mm (B, C).